La Liga strugglers Malaga sacked coach Marcelo “Gato” Romero on Tuesday and replaced him with former Marseille boss Michel who takes over immediately, the club said.

Former Real Madrid and Spain winger Michel, 53, has been without a club since he was dismissed by Marseille in April last year. His appointment will run for the rest of this season and next season, the club said.

Michel, six times Spanish champion during his playing days with Real Madrid from 1982-1996, had previous spells coaching Greece’s Olympiakos and Sevilla.

The popular former player Romero, though dismissed as head coach, was kept on the coaching staff, the club’s Qatari backers said.

“I wasn’t born here but this is like my hometown club,” said Romero, who oversaw seven defeats in 10 games since taking over from Juande Ramos in December.

The previously cash strapped club was taken over in 2010 by Abdullah al-Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family and by 2013 they enjoyed a run to the Champions League quarter-finals.

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